Mamdani Faces Criticism Over LongStanding NYC Snow Shoveler ID Rules
www.newsweek.com

... New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is coming under fire from conservative commentators and political opponents for requiring residents to show five forms of identification to become an "emergency snow shoveler", even though the rules predate his time in office.

As the Big Apple faces its second snowstorm in less than a month and its first blizzard since 2016, the 34-year-old mayor announced on Saturday that emergency snow shovelers would be welcome to join the efforts of 1,000 such workers deployed by the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) from Sunday.

To select these workers, Mamdani and the DSNY are working under ID requirements set by prior administrations and which were neither loosened nor tightened by the new mayor. ...

The role of emergency snow shoveler was not created by Mamdani, but has existed for years in New York City, which has relied on these workers after heavy snowfalls to clean up public bus stops, crosswalks, and fire hydrants.

These workers are hired by day, according to the DSNY, and, as of 2024, were paid from $18.54 per hour. This year, they will be paid from $19.14 per hour, according to a social media post by the department. Their salary goes up to $28.71 per hour after the first 40 hours worked in a week.

In order to become an emergency snow shoveler this time around, willing New Yorkers must show up to their local sanitation garage between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET on Sunday with their paperwork, accessible online at NYC.gov/snow. If accepted, they would be able to start working straight away, according to the mayor.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, eligible to work in the U.S., and able to perform heavy physical labor.

They normally also need to have two small photos, two original forms of ID, plus copies, and their Social Security card to register for an appointment, but the DSNY said New Yorkers can show up to their sanitation garage on Sunday without appointment.

In a statement to Newsweek, Joshua Goodman, the deputy commissioner for public affairs and customer experience at the DSNY, said: "The emergency snow shoveler program is a long-standing initiative that gives New Yorkers the opportunity to earn money clearing crosswalks, bus stops, fire hydrants, and other critical infrastructure when major winter storms hit our city. Every year, hundreds of workers step up to keep their communities safe and moving."

He added: "As with any employer, the City of New York has a legal obligation under federal law to verify work authorization and maintain proper documentation before issuing payment. We are not legally permitted to hand out checks without completing that process. ...

The NWS Forecaster Discussion for the NYC region...
forecast.weather.gov

... A potentially historic winter storm will impact the Tri-State area today into Monday. This is a dangerous situation with blizzard conditions expected to develop tonight.

All guidance has converged on the evolution, track, and intensity of the system. There are some subtle differences with the global models taking a 970 mb low close to the 40N/70W benchmark by Monday morning, while the hires models are slightly farther west. The latter could be the difference for even higher snowfall amounts than currently forecast.

Low pressure will quickly develop off along the North Carolina coast this morning and rapidly intensify this evening into Monday morning as it slowly lifts north-north east towards the 40N/70W benchmark. The 00Z ECMWF has come into better agreement as it has generally been on the eastern envelope of the operational guidance. This slight shift has resulted in the model QPF coming more into line with the current forecast. Forecast liquid equivalent amounts are mainly between 1.5 and 2 inches. Initially, snow ratios will start out 10:1 or even a bit lower today, then increasing to 12-14:1 by daybreak Monday as colder air wraps around the system. NBM snow ratios have been consistently too high through the event from start to finish.

While deep-layered lift in the snow growth region (-10 to -20C) favors dendritic growth and high ratios, high winds will likely result in fracturing of the crystals, lowering rates. Putting this all together, expect 1 to 2 ft across the tri-state. This is up a few inches from the last forecast.

On the higher end, the NBM (01Z) supports 23 to 30 inches across the area, due to a bit more QPF and the aforementioned higher ratios.

Its 90th percentile supports close to 3 ft across much of the area. The NAMNest is also on the higher end with 2 to 3 inches of liquid equivalent. This is likely due to its more westward track.

The 06Z HRRR which is similar in its track is very much in line with the current forecast. However, a reasonable worst case could put totals up to 3 ft. ...

US: Technical issues force NASA to postpone moon mission
www.dw.com

... The US space agency NASA on Saturday announced that an issue with the flow of helium to the upper stages of its SLS rocket has left engineers with no option but to again postpone the launch of the agency's first manned moon mission in 50 years.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said that a bad filter, valve or connector plate could have stalled helium flow, explaining that the 322-foot-tall (98-meter) rocket would have to be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to allow specialists to track down the source of the problem.

"We will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration," Isaacman said via X. NASA's next opportunity will likely come in April. ...

Greenland Rejects Trump Hospital Ship, Criticizes US Health Care
www.newsweek.com

... Greenland's prime minister has publicly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion to send a U.S. hospital ship to the island, saying the semi-autonomous Danish territory already provides free health care to its citizens and does not need outside medical assistance.

"It's going to be a no thank you from here," JensFrederik Nielsen wrote in a pointed statement on Facebook Sunday, saying Greenland's publicly funded health care system was a "deliberate choice" and contrasting it with the U.S. "where it costs money to go to the doctor. He added that Greenland remained open to cooperation, but wanted Washington to pursue dialogue rather than "random outbursts on social media." ...

Crosby, Stills Nash & Young - Almost Cut My Hair (1970)
www.youtube.com

Curious, the artist on the website is CS&N, but the artist on the album cover shown is CSN&Y.

I cited the song as the latter.

Lyrics excerpt ...

...
This is the third track from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's 1970 Deja Vu written by David Crosby. It was one of the few tracks that was recorded in the studio with the entire band who were engaged in internal squabbling.

[Verse 1]
Almost cut my hair
It happened just the other day
It was gettin' kinda long
I could-a said, it was in my way
But I didn't and I wonder why
I feel like letting my freak flag fly
Yes I feel like I owe it to someone

[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 2]
Must be because I had the flu for Christmas
And I'm not feelin' up to par
It increases my paranoia
Like lookin' at my mirror and seein' a police car
But I'm not givin' in an inch to fear
'Cause I promised myself this year
I feel like I owe it to someone

[Guitar Solos]

[Verse 3]
When I finally get myself together
I'm gonna get down in that sunny southern weather
And I find a place inside to laugh
Separate the wheat from the chaff
I feel like I owe it to someone
...

U.S. Presidents and the Federal Deficit (2023)
amarkfoundation.org

... By looking at the federal deficit or surplus based on fiscal year, the data in this report show all four Republican presidents since 1980, with our methodology, increased the federal deficit during their time in office: Ronald Reagan had a 94% increase, George H.W. Bush had a 67% increase, George W. Bush had a 1,204% increase, and Trump had a 317% increase.

Both Democratic presidents since 1980 with completed terms decreased the federal deficit while in office: Bill Clinton had a 150% decrease to end his presidency with a federal surplus of $128 billion, and Barack Obama decreased the deficit by 53%. Joe Biden decreased the deficit by 50% in his first fiscal year, but his overall results are pending the end of his presidency. ...

The 4 a.m. mystery (TED Talk)
www.youtube.com

Is it a mystery, or a conspiracy?

You decide. The video is kinda long (a bit over 11 minutes), but entertaining, imo

:)

Golden Earring - Twilight Zone (1982)
www.youtube.com

(the long version of the song)

Lyrics excerpt ...

genius.com

...
Songwriter George Kooymans of Golden Earring was inspired not by the TV show "Twilight Zone", but by the (at that point obscure) novel The Bourne Identity, which years later would be made into a successful movie.

[Verse 1]
It's two a.m., the fear has gone
(It's two a.m., the fear has gone)
I'm sitting here waitin', the gun's still warm
(I'm sitting here waitin', the gun's still warm)

Maybe my connection is tired of takin' chances
Yeah, there's a storm on the loose, sirens in my head
Wrapped up in silence, all circuits are dead
Cannot decode, my whole life spins into a frenzy

[Chorus]
Help, I'm steppin' into the Twilight Zone
Place is a madhouse, feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?

Help, I'm steppin' into the Twilight Zone
Place is a madhouse, feels like being cloned
My beacon's been moved under moon and star
Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
...